Page 13 - IAV Digital Magazine #464

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Diver Says Deep Sea Fishing Accident Left Him Looking Like Popeye
By Jane Wharton
A deep sea diver was left with massively swollen arms and chest after a fishing accident.
Alejandro ‘Willy’ Ramos was div- ing for shellfish off the coast of southern Peru when a huge cargo ship cut across his vital air hose.
Although he was able to swim to the surface, the sudden change in pressure left him with arms and a chest like Popeye.
The 56-year-old said he now suf- fers from con- stant pain and his chest hisses when he breathes.
He added that for a long time he was also too embarrassed to leave his home in the southern fishing town of
Pisco, Peru.
Willy told news- paper El Nacional that he followed his father into the fishing business 30 years ago.
He said back then, divers had to go about 50 ft into the waters to catch shell- fish.
However in recent years, over-fishing means they have now reced- ed to double that depth and the situation is more dangerous.
On the day of the accident four years ago, Willy was about 100 ft under the water while a col- league and his son stayed on a boat feeding him air.
The ship then severed his air pipe and he was forced to quickly swim to the sur- face.
Ascending too quickly is dan- gerous for divers as it means the nitrogen in their bodies can form bubbles.
When nitrogen bubbles form in blood and tis- sue, it can cause a condi- tion known as decompression sickness or ‘the bends.’
Ordinarily divers
will ascend slow- ly and have a safety stop as they rise to the surface to stop this happening.
However, Willy had no choice but it meant that the nitrogen caused irrepara- ble damage to his chest and arms and added four-and-a-half stone to his frame.
He recalled: ‘I
kept swelling and swelling. My arms swelled to an incredible size.
‘It didn’t go down. It didn’t go down.’
Willy has been unable to pay for any treatment and lost his job because of his injuries. He is now experienc- ing trouble walk- ing because of the extra weight
and he has pain in his arms.
The Naval Medical Centre is now looking at the case and experts think that some time spent in a high- tech oxygen chamber could help to repair some of the damaged tissue.
He will travel to Peru’s capital Lima to see if he can be treated.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine